Most Crimes Left Unsolved, New Figures Show

Half of crimes reported to police are left unsolved - including nearly three quarters of cases of theft, criminal damage and arson - new data shows. According to data from 28 police forces in England and Wales, not including the Metropolitan Police, 52% of crimes from April until May of this year were classed as "investigation complete, no suspect identified". That happened in 73% of criminal damage and arson cases, 72% of theft and 56% of robbery, according to Home Office figures. Figures released from the Office for National Statistics at the same time, revealed the level of recorded crime had fallen to a 34-year low.